A motorist who drank a bottle of whisky before driving down the A47 Acle Straight has been banned from getting behind the wheel for 32 months.

Tafadzwa Mudoweti was seen by police in his Peugeot 206 swerving from left to right on the A road and then putting his hazard lights on and varying his speed between 80mph and 30mph.

When Mudoweti was breathalysed by police he gave a reading of 131 microgrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath - the legal limit being 35 microgrammes.

On Wednesday Mudoweti, 33, of Trafalgar Court, Great Yarmouth, pleaded guilty to drink driving when he appeared at Great Yarmouth Magistrates' Court.

The court heard that at about 11.30pm on June 19 police had spotted Mudoweti and became aware of his driving behaviour.

Lesla Small, prosecuting, said: "He was swerving from left to right continuously."

She added Mudoweti sped up to 80mph in a 60mph zone and put his hazard lights on before driving at a speed of 30mph before he pulled into a layby.

Such was the seriousness of his offence that magistrates ordered an immediate probation report into Mudoweti as they had considered sending him to prison for his high alcohol reading.

After compiling a report, Michaela Jagiello, probation service officer, told the bench Mudoweti had pulled into a garage and bought a bottle of whisky to drink after he had an argument with his wife over finances and then worked a long shift at work as a carer.

Ms Jagiello said: "He does not know what came over him. He does understand the danger he caused to the public. "

She told the court that Mudoweti had lost his job as a carer and was "remorseful" for his actions. In similar past situations he would also take a walk on the beach to get some peace of mind.

The court heard Mudoweti had no previous convictions and sent money regularly back to family in Zimbabwe.

As well as his 32-month driving ban, magistrates placed Mudoweti on a community order with the requirement he carries out 120 hours unpaid work.